How will pregnancy affect my skin condition?

Share

It's not easy to predict what will happen to your skin in pregnancy. For some women, skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne improve dramatically. But for others, they do unfortunately get worse.

Eczema

Eczema is more likely to get worse, rather than better, in pregnancy. Though you may be lucky and find it improves. If you had a tendency to sensitive, irritable or dry skin pre-pregnancy, you may have a flare-up of mild eczema for the first time in pregnancy. To treat it, protect your skin from drying out and make sure that you moisturise often. This will reduce the itching, redness and inflammation.

Try to use as little steroid cream as you can get away with, no more than twice a day, depending on the product. Steroids vary in strength, and range from very weak, over-the-counter creams, to strong, prescription-only creams. Strong creams should only be used for a week or two. Steroid creams are safer for you than steroid tablets (prednisolone), which tend to be a last resort.

Only use steroid creams to treat patches of eczema that you already have, not to prevent new patches from developing. Try not to take too many baths or showers. When you wash, use emollients in your bath or shower, instead of soap. Emollients will help to protect your skin. Then moisturise often, trying not to scratch.

You can get emollients on prescription from your GP. Prescriptions are free while you're pregnant, and up until your baby is a year old. Aqueous cream is best avoided, as it may contain detergents that irritate your skin.

If you are moisturising but still itching badly, your doctor may prescribe an antihistamine such as loratadine (Claritin) or chlorphenamine (Piriton). The latter can be particularly helpful if you're having trouble sleeping, as it can make you drowsy. Always ask your midwife, GP or pharmacist before taking any medicine in pregnancy.

You don't need to change what you eat to treat eczema while you're pregnant, unless you have been advised to do so by a specialist.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis can be unpredictable in pregnancy. If you have it, the first step is to moisturise your skin liberally with emollients when you shower or bath, as well as afterwards. Otherwise, low-strength steroid creams can be used. Ointments based on coal tar and dithranol are also thought to be safe. You'll probably need to be prescribed the ointments. If in doubt, ask a pharmacist or speak to a GP.

While you're pregnant, avoid using the following skin treatments:

Vitamin A gels, such as tazarotene (Zorac).

Vitamin D-based lotions, creams or ointments, such as calcipotriol (Dovonex). You will only be advised to use these if your psoriasis is very severe and the benefit of using them outweighs any other risks.

A light-sensitising medication called psoralen, which is combined with UVA phototherapy.

Tablets to control severe psoriasis must not be taken while you're pregnant, because they can have severe side-effects. They include:

Drugs that suppress the immune system, such as methotrexate, cyclosporin and azathioprine.

Vitamin A-based drugs, such as acitretin.

If you have psoriasis and are trying to get pregnant, let your GP or hospital specialist know. They can then alter your treatment in plenty of time.

Acne

It's difficult to predict whether or not your acne will improve or worsen in pregnancy. If it gets worse, it's likely to be in the first three months, when you need to be particularly careful with medication. However, many skin treatments for acne, such as benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid and antibiotic preparations, are safe for you to use. Some are available over the counter, while others need to be prescribed.

You shouldn't use the following acne treatments:

Medicines or gels containing vitamin A (retinoids), which are harmful to your baby. These treatments include isotretinoin (Roaccutane), which comes in tablet form, tretinoin (Retin-A), isotretinoin (Isotrex) and adapalene (Differin), which may be gel or cream.

Some antibiotic medicines taken by mouth, such as tetracyclines. These may affect your baby's bones and teeth.

Others, such as erythromycin, which is a type of antibiotic, may be used with caution.

Always tell your pharmacist, or remind your doctor, that you are pregnant when seeking any treatment. You should also tell your doctor if you are planning a pregnancy, as you may need to stop taking some treatments for a time before it's safe for you to conceive.

Last reviewed: September 2013

Share

Track your baby’s development

Join now to receive free weekly newsletters tracking your baby’s development and yours throughout your pregnancy.

Special Offers from Our Partners

Comments

i want to thank DR EKA for what he has done for me.i am happily married for 14year before my husband ran away with a younger woman called Morenike.i have to provide for my children which was not easy being a single mother because i love my husband and i tried all my best to get him back but all failed.i have to tell my best friend about my situation who directed me to DR EKA a great spell caster from the ancient city who solved my problem for me within 7hrs.If you have any problems about your relationship i advise you to contact him.he is the only solution to your problems.Dr EKA (dreka14demons@gmail.com)

It's my first baby on its way! I'm pretty sacred ! Any tips I should know ? I'm five weeks . My boobs itch an hurt when I get up out of bed , like I can't carry them an I'm a 34 b :- . Feels like I'm a C or d lol. Please let me know any tips . Thanks guys for ur time

Special Offers from Our Partners

We want to make your experience easy and help you quickly find information that matters to you. By using our site, we assume that you consent to our use of these cookies. To learn more about our cookies, including how to opt out, please review our privacy policy.

Finding out if you're pregnant
If you're trying for a baby, each month there's that "Am I, aren't I?" moment. So, is this the month you find out that you're going to be a mum? We have all you need to know…

Childcare solutions
How do you know which type of care is best for your child? Or do you need to rely on a relative to look after your child when you return to work? Either way, there's plenty of planning to be done.

Meet other mums!
In your Birth Club, you can meet other mums and mums-to-be whose due date, or baby's birth date, is the same as yours. It's the perfect place to share advice, support and friendship with others who know what you're going through, because they are too!